Every time I say I am going to lay off of coffee it is short-lived. I enjoy coffee in so many ways that my husband cannot probably keep track. Some days I like drip coffee while other days I want an iced coffee. Sometimes I like to pour espresso over my ice cream or even add some coconut whipped topping in a HOT cup of coffee for dessert. You get me? I like coffee not only for its amazing caffeinated personality, but because it tastes SO GOOD!
One of the things that my husband and I cannot really come to terms is enjoying a pot of flavored or coffee blends like a Christmas blend or hazelnut coffee. He is a purist for sure but like I said, I like my coffee so many ways that I tend to not drink the flavored ones until I am out on my own. A pot of hot coffee is usually our standard in the mornings with either local dark roast or a fair-trade coffee we have enjoyed for years.
Things have changed and there are no differences because on certain days we can have our own choices. Since Thanksgiving, we have been enjoying a Touch T526B brewer that brews individual coffee or even a 26-ounce carafe for the coffee lover staying at home. While we are all too familiar with the Keurig, my husband keeps that at the office for his enjoyment so we have solely been a espresso-brewing or drip coffee brewing home for some time.
It was nice to have a brewer that has a lot of options for us to make. The Touch brewer makes 8 cup sizes: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 oz. and 26-ounces in a carafe. We all know it is easy to have different size coffee cups at home or the travel mug holds more than the 8-ounce portion. We definitely loved the different portions available and how hot the coffee brews in each cup. I especially loved the carafe.
The brewer comes with the supercharger (the red insert in the brewer) to brew a bigger and stronger cup of coffee. It packs up to 18g of coffee compared to regular 12g K-Cup® portion packs but it also fits generic K-cups the Touch brewers own Touch XBold Cup™ and XLarge Cup. Even though I did not receive those cups, they do boast a much bolder cup of coffee than regular K-cups. It packs up to 15 grams of coffee as opposed to 12 grams in the typical K-cup.
I am not going to tell my husband but this is MY brewer. Yes, I am laughing over here because I now get to brew what I want even when he is at home. I was able to buy some generic hazelnut coffee cups from Wegmans and have brewed them in the Touch brewer with no issues. Ten-ounces later, I was a happy mother.
We also had a chance to sample LA Coffee Cups that came in three different strengths. They ranged from 3.0 to 7.0 in coffee boldness and while the 3.0 should have been a lighter roast it was still a bold flavor so imagine 7.o being a darker roast but very bold and strong in flavor. My husband and I enjoyed each cup.
My other favorite accessory is the Refill Jumbo Cup. The red supercharger that holds the K-cups in place is removed and in its place goes the Refill Jumbo cup. I can fill any ground coffee into this cup and it brews 40 grams of my favorite coffee-making 30-ounces or 4 cups of coffee. Not only that but it brews in 3 minutes as well!
While I have listed my pros with this brewer there are a few small cons:
- Once the coffee is brewed in the carafe, you have to drink the 4 cups pretty quickly to enjoy it hot. I drink about 2 and by the time I get to the other 2, the coffee is cold. I mean, I am able to drink it iced but if it is brewed hot, I would like it hot.
- The water tank is large and holds 90 ounces, but it seems like we are filling it ALL the time and with every cup we brew. The minimum amount of water is really a larger amount than expected but really its more of a nuisance than an issue. The issue I see is the water tank itself. The brewer has to be against the wall for it not to tip and spill everywhere. It is not very secure.
Besides those things, we really like the brewer and we will continue trying out various cups and drinks for our every day pleasure.
Have someone you know would like this? Do you have a family member addicted to coffee? This is the brewer for them! Enter below for a chance to win the same brewer for yourself or a family member.
Disclosure: I received a brewer to review and one to give away to a reader. All opinions are my own. Brewer will be mailed by company at the end of the giveaway.
